The enormous pain in my butt.

Last week was long and tough. School was crazy, jumping back into the pool left my arms sore, jumping into a 10K was a cruel reminder that fitness doesn't just reappear overnight and that I've got a lot of work to do, and no matter how much I run, bike, swim, and watch what I eat, the scale just won't let go of the Christmas cookie and fudge grudge its holding. The week's biggest bummer, however, was the pain in my butt. It's a Trek speed concept 7.0 that is sitting on a trainer in my living room. More specifically, it's the saddle that sits on the bike.

My life cup is really 99.99999% full, so I'll focus on the good before going into negative nancy mode.

Last week was the mothership of running company. I ran with a crew after school Thursday and again this afternoon, and Saturday's January freeze 10K in all its balmy mid 40's wonder brought people out of the woodwork, giving me lots of familiar faces throughout the race. The sixteen of us (yes, 16!) tromping out of the Wegman's parking lot at 7:30am yesterday on our way to get anywhere from 10 - 20 miles in was the icing on the cake. I got 16 in, a miracle feat that would not have been possible without the fabulous Emily PT and Chuck H! Sixteen people, (seventeen, actually, once we picked up Stephen M around 1.5 miles), who love to run so much that they'll get out of their warm beds on a Sunday morning to don the running tights, hats, and gloves, and run mile after mile after mile into the January elements. I've said it before, and I was reminded again this weekend - gee I love runners!

I got back into a swimming routine last week too, and though it left me sore, I feel like it was a good start. 5000 yds over three sessions. I'm still completely rotten at swimming, but I felt really good about what I did, and I feel like, with hard work, I have a lot of potential to get stronger and faster. Here's hoping anyway.

Our dishwasher had a moment, throwing a wrench into my "keep a cleaner house" plan, as the kitchen (where we enter the house) was a bit chaotic, but we have been eating healthy, nutrient rich meals. I think I'm slowly becoming a part time vegetarian too, but that's another post. In other food news, thanks to Ashley M (blogger, runner, and new mom) blogging about coconut oil, I picked some up and it has revolutionized my homemade granola! So while the scale may insist on being a wench, at least I feel like there are lots of vitamins and nutrients mingling with the holiday gorging fat cells in there.

Now the butt pain. The P.I.T.A. if you will. The plan was M W F 5:30 - 6:30am on the trainer. With Spinervals Louisville KY is all ramped up in the xbox ready to inspire me, Monday I rode. Yep. I rode Monday. That's it. Just Monday. Because that one hour left the innards of my sit bones tore up from the floor up. It wasn't just "a little uncomfortable" to get back on the saddle on Wednesday, it was unbearable! And I fancy myself quite pain tolerant. So, a trip to the bike shop is definitely in order, but if anyone reading has any advice, please do share! I switched out the original bike saddle (which nearly rendered me maimed for life in the nether regions) for an adamo which served me well all fall (training rides, tour de shunk, Syracuse 70.3). Maybe it was not getting out of the saddle at all that morning? Maybe it was because I haven't ridden in forever and I just need to build saddle stamina? Maybe I sit on the bike wrong? All I do know is that we're not going to make it through an ironman together unless we mend ways soon.

I'm giving it another shot and hoping the biking goes better this week. I'd also like to get my weekly running mileage up to the 55 - 60 range - a much more attainable goal. I mean, after all, running is like riding a bike to me...oh, wait...

Hope you all enjoy a pita free week!